Best MacBook 2023
There are various sections in this article. If you aren’t sure which Mac laptop you want then read on, if you have a vague idea but are choosing between two similar models, or if your needs are more professional than personal, then you might find the models further down this article more relevant. In that case, we suggest that you jump to the section that is most relevant to your needs. See the Table of Contents above.
MacBook release dates
One consideration to make when shopping for a MacBook is how recently Apple updated the laptop and whether it is likely to be updating it again soon. Here is a quick look at when the laptops Apple is selling were released.
MacBook Air (M1): November 2020
MacBook Air (M2): July 2022
13in MacBook Pro (M2): June 2022
14in MacBook Pro (M1 Pro & M1 Max): October 2021
16in MacBook Pro (M1 Pro & M1 Max): October 2021
Note that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are due an update and that is expected in 2023. One thing to beware of – it is possible that when Apple updates the MacBooks in 2023 customers outside the U.S. may see price rises, based on the fact that Apple increased iPad prices back in October.
Which MacBook Air should I buy?
It’s easy to think that the cheapest Mac laptop will be the one that is the best value, but that’s not necessarily the case. We’ll start of with that $999/£999 M1 model though, assessing how it matches up to the newer M2 MacBook Air that costs $1,199/£1,249. We’ll then compare that M2 MacBook Air with the 13-inch MacBook Pro that costs $1,299/£1,349.
The $999/£999 MacBook Air (read our M1 MacBook Air review) is an interesting proposition. The entry-level MacBook Air has seen a few price cuts over the past few years, with a $100/£100 price cut earlier in 2020 on top of a $100£100 price cut in 2019. At $999/£999 it’s the cheapest Mac laptop you can buy right now, which makes it looks like an attractive option, but is it?
For your £999/$999 you get an Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 7‑Core GPU, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. One clear difference between this model and its more expensive sibling is that the more expensive model offers the next generation M2 chip, rather than the M1. The number of CPU cores is the same, but there is an 8‑Core GPU rather than 7-core GPU. Both models offer the same amount of storage 256GB and the same 8GB RAM as standard.
But is the new M2 chip reason enough to spend the extra the difference between the $999/£999 MacBook Air and the $1,199/£1,249 model isn’t really big enough to justify the extra $200/£250? The M1 is still a powerful chip and may be more than enough for your needs. However, there is another big difference between these two MacBook Air models: the M2 MacBook Air also offers a brand new design with an even bigger and brighter screen and more color choices. The design of the new model may be reason enough for you to pay the extra money.
If your reason for buying the 8-core GPU equipped Air is that you feel you may benefit from the extra graphics core, you may want to consider the 13-inch MacBook Pro which comes as standard with a 10-core GPU and also benefits from an internal fan to help keep things cool when the Mac is working hard. The MacBook Air also has a 10-core GPU option – we’ll look at the comparison between these two models next.
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